Lima Syndrome
by Curious6
Summary: Seven years have passed since Gene's betrayal, and Pepper's moved on since. But when he abruptly returns into her life, Pepper's loyalties are tested and she's torn between her first love and the person most deserving of her love.
1. Awakening

**Awakening**

May 13, 2019

8:30 AM

_*Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep-*_

The sound of her blaring alarm clock jarred her out of her sleep and she very nearly tumbled off of her bed. "F…" She pursed her lips together in an effort to censor herself and inhaled slowly through her nostrils. The beeping persisted and she groaned, less than willing to get up.

She slowly rolled onto her back and stretched her arm past a thick pile of books and towards her alarm clock. Her fingers grazed its curved sides and pressed softly onto the rectangular button on the top. The alarm shut off with a small _click _and she let her arm flop onto her bedside table.

God, she felt unusually tired this morning. She sighed and sifted her hand through her unruly hair. Her eyes glanced up at the calendar on the wall. She had to squint and adjust her eyes to the light, but she could just make it out. It read Sunday, May 13th—

"—_consider it Judgment Day." Gene glared at Tony and Pepper was shocked at that amount of hatred he harbored in his eyes for her best friend. Tony was equally stunned and rooted to the spot, unable to understand the meaning of his words. "Gene, what exactly are you saying?" Tony asked him warily as if advising him to choose his next words carefully._

"_What I'm saying, Stark—or should I say __**Iron Man**__—" Gene paused to relish in the sight of Tony's horrified expression before continuing. "I'm saying that the Makluan rings no longer belong to you." He brought his right hand up to summon the rings from around his opponent's neck._

"_What gives you the right to take them when Tony earned them?!" __Rhodey shouted at Gene, his temper quickly rising. Hot anger flashed in Tony's eyes as he came to his senses and he grabbed the rings out of Gene's reach. Gene let out growl of frustration and advanced toward his target, but a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. He whirled around and grabbed the hand __from his body,__ yanking it toward him with unnecessary roughness._

_He looked down and froze as he saw Pepper's __pained__, terrified expression within inches from his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but was unable to form any coherent thoughts with her clear olive eyes boring into his. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice was as light as a whisper and broke at the last few words. _

"_Hey!" Rhodey protested, reaching out to stop him from hurting her, but Tony held him back. Rhodey gave him an incredulous look, but his eyes were on the two across the room. "Wait…" Gene had calmed down, even if very slightly, in her presence and Tony needed to see how things would work out._

_ Gene pursed his lips together and met her eyes with a cold piercing stare. "You've been lying to me…this whole time?" Pepper uttered softly, her voice edged with hysteria __as she was still unable to grasp the situation at hand__. Tony and Rhodey stood motionless across the room, unsure of how to react. _

_ Gene stared at her for several agonizing moments, before raising his hand to her cheek. He paused, hesitating, and his hand hovered inches from her face before slowly lowering to the ground. For the briefest of moments Pepper thought she could feel the warmth of his touch radiating on her skin, but she knew she was only imagining it._

_ She could tell by the look in his eyes and the faintest furrow of his brow that he was in turmoil __with himself__. Suddenly, he very abruptly turned, and snatched the rings away from Tony from a distance. "No-" Tony let out a startled cry, reaching out a second too late to stop him._

_ Gene slipped the rings onto his fingers and he took a step backwards from the two. "Gene!" Rhodey shouted as a warning and Pepper felt too numb to react. He ignored the other man and glanced at Pepper, whose eyes relayed that she understood what he was about to do._

_ She shook her head, pleading with him as a flash of light began to envelop his body. He hesitated for a moment but forced himself to make eye contact with her. The remnants of the sadness and regret she thought she had seen in his eyes were replaced with a cold bitterness. _

_ "Goodbye, Pepper." His words were clear and final, his distinct voice ringing in her ears even after he had vanished._

Suddenly her heart tripped and she felt the walls in her throat constrict tightly. "Stop," She growled aloud to herself, digging the heels of her hands into her forehead to keep herself rooted to the present. "Stop. Breathe." For the next few minutes she lay there, breathing in and out and listening to the heavy silence in the room.

After her breathing rate had steadied, she slowly sat up and observed her room. Everything was still; nothing had changed. She moved to open the window; some light and fresh air would do her some good. The morning light was bright and stung at her eyes, but she welcomed it.

Seven years had passed, and she wouldn't let herself forget it. She had become a stronger person, even knowing that there was a possibility that she would never recover from what had happened to her. She had nightmares and panic attacks in the middle of the night for God-knows-how-long after that, but she had her friends to help her through it.

After that episode, things began to change for all of them. They all had their issues to resolve, most of which consisted of trust issues on Tony's and her part. But while Rhodey began to blame himself and Tony had become embittered by Gene's betrayal, she had reverted to a stage of depression that quickly spiraled out of control.

Her father didn't understand what she was going through—how could he? She figured that the only way he could deal with it was to assume that she was going through a bad break-up with Tony. She had laughed at the irony of it in all of her bitterness.

Within a few months' time, their lifestyles had become unhealthy to the point that they were life-threatening, and Tony nearly had a brush with death due to his recklessness as Iron Man. At that moment they realized that the world still needed Iron Man—still needed _them_—meaning that they had an important purpose to fulfill.

They worked hard throughout college, despite the fact that they had to go their separate ways. Rhodey almost immediately enrolled in the military, following after his father's footsteps. Tony was determined to attend MIT with a full scholarship while juggling his duties to Stark Industries. This led to a strain in his role as Iron Man, but they each sacrificed a little bit to ensure that it would work out. He eventually opened up a company of his own, _Stark International_.

Pepper realized after years of fighting alongside Tony and Rhodey that she didn't want the normal life. There was no way that she could sit back at a desk job, unable to have any lasting impact or contribution to change the world. As a result, she made her decision to work in the S.H.I.E.L.D division. At least this way they would all still be connected and she could gain more experience rising in the ranks.

Her job was unlike any other and required more strength and discipline than she was led to believe, but it was just what she needed. It had become her whole life aside from Rhodey and Tony, and they both often complained of this. It didn't matter to her though; she knew she belonged there and was damn good at what she did.

Regardless of how much time had passed, Pepper knew that Tony would never forgive Gene for what he did to her. But honestly, it didn't matter now. No matter how unsure of herself she felt, she knew that Gene's departure was probably the best thing that ever happened to her. It had helped her grow as a person and, in a major way, connected her to the two people who meant everything to her.

She realized that the person she needed the most had been with her all along to help her heal at her own pace. For several years she and Tony had been dating now, and she had never been so grateful to have someone like him in her life. He was always patient and understanding with her, and being with him was both comforting and comfortable. And, although he was frequently busy as CEO of Stark International and with upholding his duties as Iron Man, he almost always found time for her.

Almost as if on cue, her phone began to vibrate on her desk table. She reached for it noticed a bubble pop up on the screen with Tony's face in it. "Coffee at 10, right? Don't forget." it read. She smiled and went back to the window, leaning out to take in a breath of cold air before heading to the bathroom to get ready.


	2. Lapse

**Lapse**

May 13, 2019

10:00 AM

Tony took a long sip of his coffee and checked his watch. It was 10 am sharp, meaning that she would make her appearance in just a few moments. He smiled and took another sip, just as a pair of arms slipped behind his neck and gave him a light squeeze.

"Morning, Sweetheart." He chimed, earning a small giggle from the young woman over his shoulder. He pulled his arm back to touch her face and his fingers became entangled in short, thick curls. Pepper turned his face and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He slowly stood up and pulled her close to him, melting into her embrace.

She sighed into his lips and leaned closer to him, locking her hands together behind his neck. He tilted his head and his smile faltered slightly at her worn appearance. Her face was flushed from the cold weather, but her eyes looked tired and red; and he knew why.

His eyes narrowed at the prospect and he felt his pulse begin to race with hot anger. He hated Gene for leaving Pepper in such a vulnerable state. It took her months to open up to the people who loved her the most, and he decided then and there that he would never allow anyone to hurt her like that again.

"How are you doing?" He asked her gently, a smile lighting up at the faintest upturned corners of her lips. He knew she would appreciate his play at formalities. "I'm doing just fine, thank you." She played with a few strands of his hair and he touched her hand to his face affectionately.

"You've been busy. I've missed you." Pepper admitted quietly, and he nodded solemnly, understanding. He sighed and pulled her down to the seat across from him. "I know. Things couldn't have been more hectic lately, and to top it off I can't seem to get a break with…you know." He tried to explain as the waitress walked past him with a cup of hot chocolate.

"I understand, I've been reading the papers. I don't know what the hell's going on, but something's up and we need to figure it out." She agreed, frowning.

"Rhodey's scheduled to get back later tonight, I guess we'll have to deal with it then." He took another sip of his coffee and leaned back against his chair, deep in thought. Pepper in turn took a sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes never leaving his. He seemed irritated by something, but for some reason he wouldn't speak up.

"Tony," She brought him back to reality and he looked up at her, his eyebrows raised slightly. "What else is bothering you?" She asked him seriously, and he hesitated before scowling. "I don't know, I just…It's nothing." He paused for a long time and she waited, drinking her hot chocolate. Someone opened a door nearby and a breeze chilled her warm skin. She shivered and pulled her scarf closer around her neck.

"There have been these minor occurrences in Stark International." He confessed and she raised an eyebrow at his vagueness. "Just small robberies and whatnot, but…every time it comes up, it's like it's meant for me personally. Someone's fucking with me and it's starting to become a setback for me, but not my company as a whole." He scowled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He didn't want to have to admit these things to Pepper, as it would only cause her to unnecessarily worry.

She furrowed her eyebrows and leaned in closer, resting her weight on her elbows. "I don't know how to explain it, but it's interfering with my other job and I'm about to lose my mind." He groaned and folded his hands together over his eyes.

Pepper frowned but tried to hide her worry. Why wasn't she aware of this until now? She rested her hand atop his and caressed it reassuringly. "We'll figure it out, Tony." He gazed outside the window, unconvinced, but didn't argue any further.

A sharp, high-pitched ringing awoke him to his senses. "Agh." He shifted and reached into his pants pocket for his cell phone. "Call from…Stark International." The phone mused and he groaned in aggravation. This couldn't be good news.

"Go on, it's probably important." Pepper made a head notion to the door and he nodded, sighing. He stood and headed outside, eager to silence the irritating noises his phone was evoking.

The cold wind blew past his face as he pushed the door open and he soon felt most of the warmth flood out of his body. "Tony Stark speaking." He had the phone pressed against his ear and nearly had to shout against the wind to hear anything. What was going on with the weather?

"Mr. Stark, we have a problem. The Tower's lost all power and we can't seem to get it back." Tony turned around and gazed at the city's skyline. He stopped at his company and realized to his inherent surprise that his Tower was completely powered down—even the sign that read **Stark International** had stopped glowing. There was no way that could've happened, that power was supposed to be sustainable for the next fifty years.

Suddenly he heard a loud crash and whirled around upon instinct. Several cars had collided against each other, starting a chain reaction. He saw something flashing out of the corner of his eye and directed his attention toward it. Every stop light that stretched from the beginning of the block into the depths of the city was flashing yellow.

A crowd began to form around the crash and he stepped forward to make sure no one was injured. "Hey Mom, look at that!" A young boy tugged at his mother's coat and pointed towards the bridge in fascination. People began to stop and murmur and he turned around again to see what the commotion was all about.

"What the hell…" He murmured, lowering the phone from his ear slowly. Signs from every building on the skyline was flickering and slowly blinking out. He heard faint whines all around him and realized that the electricity was going off in the entire city. What kind of power could cause this?

"Sir?" He heard a faint voice and brought the phone back to his ear. "I'm on my way." He snapped his phone shut and quickly made his way back into the café. People were clamoring past him to see what had happened as he realized that even the café had lost power.

He looked over at the empty booths and realized Pepper was gone. He scanned the crowd but was unable to find her, much to his growing apprehension. "Pepper!" He called out, but his voice was lost amongst many others.

Tony felt a warm hand squeeze his shoulder and he turned. "I'm here. What's happening?" Pepper's tone was serious, her expression determined. He let out an exhale of relief and rested his hands on her shoulder. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I have to get back and figure it out."

She nodded and moved to get her coat, but he reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked up at him in surprise and he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Be safe." He murmured, offering her a grim smile. He wanted to be with her today of all days, but they both knew the city needed Iron Man right now.

Pepper's expression softened and she leaned towards him on the tips of her toes. "And _you_ be careful." She raised her eyebrows at him, grinning cheekily, and he let out a small chuckle.

True, he was probably going to be in more danger as Iron Man than she would right now. He knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but that didn't stop him from being worried about her.

"Love you," She whispered, planting a small, but slow kiss on his lips. He felt warmth spread out from his chest throughout his body and he suppressed a shaky sigh. "I love you." He heard himself murmur in return and he kissed her one last time before pulling away.

She moved to scoop up her jacket and he led her outside. There was a loud commotion nearby and Tony realized that the police force was trying to control the confused masses. "Everyone please remain calm!" They advised, but they were unable to direct the attention toward them. On top of that, the weather was only becoming more violent and turbulent as time passed.

"Go." Pepper urged him and he nodded as they went their separate ways. He moved through the crowd with great difficulty as hordes of panicked people tried to make their way through the city. He slipped his hand in his pocket and checked to see if he had any missed calls only to realize that the screen had turned black.

"Shit!" He craned his neck to alert Pepper but by the time he had turned around she was already gone.


	3. Touched

**Touched**

May 13, 2019

11:40 AM

Pepper skipped up the last flight of stairs to her apartment and wiped her brow. She had just run twenty blocks after realizing that there was no way she could take a taxi with the city in such a chaotic state. But, God, it was as if she was running through a hurricane, which made it twice as difficult.

Once she arrived at her apartment complex, she realized with chagrin that the power outage had spread far throughout the city, meaning that she had to take the stairs to reach her apartment. It took her nearly half an hour to reach her room and she had jogged the whole way. Ugh, it was just her luck to live on the top floor.

She pulled at the thick scarf around her neck irritably, feeling uncomfortable and smothered now that she was inside the heated building. "God damn this city." She muttered under her breath. Trouble seemed to find its way to New York City more often than she considered was normal. That was one of the reasons why the branch of S.H.I.E.L.D she belonged to was the biggest in the country.

Pepper sighed and rummaged through her purse for her keys. Suddenly she heard the sound of a door slowly creaking open—only it was coming from inside her apartment. She froze and felt her insides churn as she contemplated whether she should wait or storm in.

She narrowed her eyes at the thought of a burglar being in _her_ room looking through her belongings and decided she didn't have the patience for any of this. Nevertheless she silently twisted her key into the lock and opened the door just enough so that she could quietly slip through.

She slowly made her way through the living room and down the hallway, but stopped abruptly when she heard soft music play in her room. _The fuck?_ She paused and tried to decipher which song was playing before making a face. _As if it even mattered._

There was a small closet in the hallway in which she was able to retrieve a weathered, old baseball bat. She wrapped her fingertips tightly around the handle, keeping a steady grip on the heavy object, and the music began to pick up pace.

_**I, I looked into your eyes and saw**_

She briefly smiled at the reminder of her bat; when she had first moved into her apartment several years ago Tony had given her his old baseball bat as a means of defense in case she were to ever need it. She figured it would only come to use if the burglar had a gun, but even then burglars were messy and unprepared and she was taught how to fight back.

_**A world that does not exist**_

The sound of light footsteps and creaking floorboards brought her back to her senses and she readied herself. She felt her heart begin to pulse and adrenaline pump though her blood and she took a deep breath.

_**I, I looked into your eyes and saw**_

The music was playing softly enough for her to hear footsteps making their way across the room and she decided now was as good of a time as any. She turned swiftly into the room and took a step forward, bat clenched with both hands.

_**A world I wish I was in**_

There was a man standing by her window, his back faced to her. His hair was as black as Tony's, but thinner and slicked back and he had a small stud on his left ear. She furrowed her eyebrows; he wasn't dressed in all black or wearing a mask. He was wearing a dark navy pea coat and black khakis with a pair of black dress shoes. _What the hell, he looked like a __regular lawyer she'd see in the subway__, not a burgular!_

_**I'll never find someone quite as touched as you**_

The man turned his face slightly in acknowledgment and she tensed up. She saw something in his hand flicker and catch the light. It was a picture frame—he was holding her picture with Tony and Rhodey from her high school graduation.

_Huh_. She just remembered something. _I know this song…I remember it from…Oh. _She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. _Oh, God._ She lowered her baseball bat as a wave of nausea swept over her but her feet remained rooted to the spot. Voices washed over her, but they were in her mind, and she felt a migraine begin to build up in her head.

_**I'll never love someone quite the way**_

"No," She murmured desperately to herself, looking anywhere but the man. _I don't want to remember. I don't want to remember._ She squeezed her eyelids shut but the music wasn't helping her any. She heard the floorboards creak and her eyelids involuntarily flew open as the man turned to fully face her.

_**That I loved you**_

"_Hm hmmm hm hm…" Pepper was humming the song to herself as she finished up the last of her writing assignment. She was stretched out comfortably on her stomach with stacks of paper and candy wrappers surrounding her. "Hmm hmm hm hmm…" She finished up the last paragraph and gave a quick scan of the paper overall._

"_Yeees!" She waved a triumphant fist in the air and let __out a bubbly laugh__. She heard footsteps approach her and she twisted her body around expectedly. "I'm finally finished—mmph!" She was cut off as she felt a pair of lips __crush against hers.__ She was unable to suppress the giggle stuck in her throat, however, and fell back against her bed in a fit of laughter._

"_Pepper?" She heard a voice say above her and it only made her laugh harder. "I swear, there's something wrong with you." She could hear the smile in his voice despite his annoyance. She only smiled and continued to hum to her favorite song, swaying her head back and forth to the music._

"_I'll never find someone quite as touched as you…" She murmured and yawned, feeling __a nice kind of sleepiness__ overtake her senses as she lost herself in the music. A hand grazed her cheek and she smiled contently as he leaned down to brush his lips against hers. He kissed her softly again and again before finishing for her, "I'll never love someone quite the way that I loved you." _

The man stood only ten feet away from her, staring at her with familiar dark eyes and chiseled features. He moved to turn off the radio and they were in complete silence now. His lips upturned slightly when he saw her face and he uttered her name in his slight accent, "Hello, Pepper."

She felt a tight sensation in her chest as she heard him say her name like he used to and she suddenly felt so winded. She felt her face twist into an almost pained expression and she opened her mouth in an attempt to speak, but found she couldn't. She swallowed and tried again, only this time her voice came in a soft, disbelieving whisper.

"_Gene?" _


	4. Dawn

**Dawn**

May 13, 2019

11:45 AM

"There seems to be an unknown disturbance causing a massive power outage in the metropolitan area—"Tony's secretary followed him into his office and he groaned internally. "How long do you think this will last for? Do you think the military is going to be deployed?" God, did she even stop to take breaths in between her sentences?

"I think the military can handle themselves—"He started, clinging desperately to the last ounce of patience he had for the woman. "Actually, Mr. Stark," A familiar voice interrupted him. "The military is in need of your assistance."

Tony turned, mouth open in surprise, and a grin broke out on his face. "Rhodey!" He felt a sense of relief wash over him now that his best friend was here and with him. Rhodey grinned back and embraced him, patting him hard on his back.

"You're back early," He added questioningly. "Tried calling, but—you know." He replied with a shrug. "Ah." Tony half-nodded. _Makes sense_. The secretary shuffled away and closed the door behind them, leaving them to talk privately amongst themselves.

"How've you been, bro?" Tony stepped back to take a look at him full clad in his uniform. "I've been busy, but _you_ know that." Rhodey laughed. "It's nice to be back." Tony nodded in agreement, but his friend could see the grimace on his face.

"How's Pepper?" Rhodey asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "She misses you." Tony smiled and Rhodey shrugged, a sly grin on his face. "Well, we both know how she feels about me." He joked and Tony laughed.

"She looked fine, you know? Like her usual self, I mean. But I can tell she hasn't been sleeping much lately." Tony couldn't do much to hide the scowl on his face and Rhodey put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Is she at her apartment?"

Tony stalked over to the window, gazing out on the city that was his home. "I don't know. Maybe. She could be over with S.H.I.E.L.D. but it looks like they haven't got a clue as to what's going on either." He sounded distraught.

"Tony, the government or the military may not be able to figure out what's going on, but it can't be beyond us." Rhodey reasoned. Tony's eyes brightened up a bit at the prospect, already forming ideas in his mind. "Of course," He murmured to himself. "This could be anyone—Doom, Magneto, A.I.M…"

Tony crossed the room in a few quick strides, rubbing his thumb against his lip thoughtfully. "What about the armory?" He heard Rhodey ask behind him. "We should have a backup generator, right?" Tony nodded in confirmation, "It takes time to kick in, though."

Rhodey sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Right. There's a trade-off to everything." He noted sarcastically. "Tch." Tony clenched his jaw and sat back on his heels, suddenly feeling as if his chest weighed a ton. _What's going on with me today?_ He thought incredulously to himself.

"It seems that way. Looks like our only option now is to—"He coughed, trying to rid himself of whatever was stuck in his chest, but it wouldn't clear. "You all right, man?" Rhodey moved to help him but he waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fi—"

He was interrupted by a low rumble followed by a flickering of the lights and television in his office. "It's back!" Rhodey cried and he moved to the window in surprise and watched as electricity sparked to life throughout the city.

Tony suddenly felt a rush of energy jolt him and spread throughout his body; it felt as if his entire body was alight. His vision began to swim and he felt his knees buckle as he gasped for breath. He heard a voice calling his name in the back of his mind and suddenly his vision cleared.

"…To get help. Can you hear me?" Rhodey articulated slowly, trying to support his upper body. Tony shook his head and took in several deep breaths before attempting to stand. "Hey, take it easy, man!" Rhodey warned, but Tony felt fine. In fact, he felt more than fine.

He brought his palms out—they were shaking ever-so-slightly as if he was having an adrenaline rush. "Rhodey," Tony breathed, looking up at his friend's perplexed expression. This kind of power had to have come with the electrical surge. And if felt so…so _familiar_.

He felt dread creep through his gut and slowly raised his hand to the arc reactor in his chest. "I can feel it here." His fingertips and toes were still tingling, but he could feel the source of his power at his arc reactor. "It's not right, it's…"

He looked up at Rhodey sharply as realization dawned upon him. Suddenly it all made sense—the amount of power, the unexplainable electrical surges. "_It's magic_." Rhodey's eyes grew wide with disbelief and he stood up slowly, his mouth agape. "Tony, you don't think…" He began unsurely, but Tony cut him off.

"The date—think about it, _seven years ago on this day_!" Tony shouted, clenching and unclenching his fists tightly at his side. His eyes were wild with anger as he passed a hand across his face to try to calm himself down.

"Wait—" Rhodey grabbed his shoulders and tried to console him."How could I—how could I have not realized sooner," Tony mumbled quickly to himself and Rhodey shook him. "Cut it out, man! If—and I mean _if_—it's really him, then we need to suit up."

Tony's eyes lit up and he focused in on him again at the other man's words. "You're right." He needed to think clearly at a time like this. He scowled; somewhere in the back of his mind he knew this day would come. He should have been more prepared, should have been more careful—

If he still had a heart, he knew it would have stopped then and there. His face drained in color and Rhodey's eyes grew wider in alarm. "What is it?" He stared at him anxiously, waiting for a response, but Tony was standing stock still, which unnerved him even more.

Suddenly his face twisted and he ground out one word through clenched teeth,

"Pepper."


	5. Victimized

**Victimized**

May 13, 2019

11:50 AM

As soon as she saw Gene's face, Pepper turned and ran back into the hallway as fast as her feet could carry her. No, this wasn't going to be a romantic reunion between the two. _Far from it_, she thought dryly to herself. He was a dangerous man and hell if she was going to stay and find out what he was doing in her apartment.

She didn't dare turn around to see how far behind her he was, but she couldn't sense anyone following her. God, her heart was beating so hard in her chest that she was afraid it would burst. Who was she kidding? She was terrified, _absolutely terrified _right now.

This wasn't how she had pictured it. _Hell, how did I picture this happening?_ She wondered sarcastically. _Roses? A love letter followed by an apology? _She turned the corner, heading to the door, and crashed into something hard.

"Ouch!" She stumbled back but someone grabbed her before she could fall. "Ah," She winced and froze as she realized that Gene's face was at a close proximity to her own. He was leaning into her face with his hands clasped together at her back, leaving very little space between their faces.

She wanted to look anywhere and everywhere but at his face, but found it very difficult to avoid his penetrating gaze. His eyes were like ice and fire, playing with her and bending her will. Her heart was still racing despite her composed expression, and she was almost sure he could hear it too.

"Let go of me, Gene." She warned him quietly and he tilted his face closer to hers. "What, we're not going to talk?" He mocked her playfully, his eyes glinting with amusement. She whipped her head up, eyes blazing, and seethed, "I have nothing to say to you."

Before he could respond, her phone began to vibrate loudly in her jacket pocket. She took this opportune moment to catch him off guard and brought her knee up, smashing it into his groin. His face contorted in surprise and pain and he all but crumpled to the ground. Satisfied, she fled through the nearest means of escape; her window.

Pepper climbed up the emergency ladder deftly until she was on the roof of the apartment complex building. She glanced downwards into the streets and realized in surprise that the city's electrical power had returned. "Oh," She paused before swinging herself onto the rooftop. _That music…_Touched_ playing on the radio. _She hadn't realized it then.

She heard the ladder creak from below her and took off. She had to get to Tony, but the fastest way she could get to Stark Tower was by going through the rooftops of Manhattan. She sprinted forward until she reached a wide gap between the buildings and she thrust herself into the air.

She continued this for as long as she could manage, only stopping to catch her breath for a few brief seconds. Mother Nature just wasn't on her side today; the wind was driving her back and minimizing her chances of escape.

_As long as I'm not being followed, I should be all right, _she noted to herself. Suddenly, a feeling of unease crept into her stomach. Wait, why wasn't she being followed? Gene could simply teleport to her if he really wanted to.

_If he wanted to_, she repeated in her head. "Oh, no." She murmured and skidded to a halt. She was being played. This was exactly what he'd wanted from the—

"Hey, what are you doing up there! Get off!" She turned and saw a shopkeeper yelling at her from below in the streets. _Uh-oh_. The streets were more crowded than usual and she had begun to attract a significant amount of attention to herself.

_Fuck, I should have been more careful!_ She mentally chastised herself and ducked away from the man's sight. She crouched down and took in long, slow breaths as she tried to console herself. Her limbs were shaking from exhaustion or fear—"Probably both," She groaned to herself—and she was sweating despite the chilly weather.

Suddenly her thigh began to vibrate and she nearly jumped out of her own skin. She palmed her jacket pocket frantically until she felt something small and square through the rough fabric. _My phone!_ She realized, her heart leaping with joy. She had completely forgotten about it since power was restored to the city.

She thumbed the screen of her phone and entered her password in swiftly as the phone continued to buzz. A bubble popped up that read **Call from Tony Stark **and she sat back in relief. "Oh, Tony," She pressed the phone close to her ear and listened intently for his response.

"_Pepper?"_ Tony's clear, alarmed voice rang through her ears and she swallowed a lump in her throat. "_Pepper, are you OK? Stay where you are, I'm coming for you!" _Her relief turned to panic as she took his words into account.

"No!" She blurted out. "You don't understand, it's Gene—" She heard static crackle at the other end of the line before it disconnected. "_Really? _I mean, for fuck's sake!" She wrung her hands, resisting the urge to throw her phone off the roof.

Suddenly she felt the hair on the back of her neck raise up and she whirled around in anticipation. Gene was standing across from her with his arms crossed and a smug grin plastered on his face. "Impressive," He murmured, staring at her in a way that made her skin crawl.

Pepper eyed him warily, very careful to keep a safe distance between them. "What are you doing here, Gene? Haven't you done enough damage?" She spat, her words venomous. His arrogant smirk faltered, only to be replaced with a scowl on his face.

"You really hate me, don't you…?" His words were more of a statement than a question, but she felt more than inclined to answer him. She pushed back any trace of guilt she felt at his words and met his gaze evenly.

"What did you expect coming back here?" Her words were more soft-spoken than she had intended them to be, and she hated herself for that.

_He doesn't deserve your kindness_, Tony would remind her when she would stick up for Gene. He was struck deeply by Gene's betrayal; he _should've_ been harsher with her but he wasn't.

She laughed quietly to herself, shaking her head, and earned a quizzical look from Gene. Tony emphasized _her_ kindness, when in fact it was his kindness that saved her._ What kindness did I ever have to offer them?_

_Any of them? _Her smile was replaced with a grim line and she looked back up at Gene, who was trying to decipher her apparent schizophrenia.

_I'm coming for you. _Tony's words echoed in her head, reminding her of what had to be done. Well, there was no time to waste.

She turned abruptly and sprinted to the edge of the roof. "_Pepper!_" Gene called to her in alarm as she leapt off the roof.

She sailed through the air, heart pounding, and aimed for the roof a few stories down. _Ugh! _This would be an unpleasant landing, but she didn't have much of a choice.

Suddenly, there was an odd shift in the air and she felt something—no, _someone_—grab onto her and pull her backwards. She could feel the oxygen being forcefully sucked out of her lungs as she was transported against her will.

"Uhh—Wh—Wh—" Pepper gasped, turning her head to find herself surrounded by concrete. It took her a few moments to catch her breath as she was preoccupied with the fact that Gene was practically on top of her.

His eyes bore into hers in concern as he waited for her to steady her breathing rate and regain her senses. Suddenly she violently shoved him off of her and he scowled, rolling next to her.

"You scared the shit out of me! Why'd you have to do that?!" She shouted accusingly, her eyes still wild with fear. "You're welcome." He muttered sarcastically.

"_You're welcome?_" Pepper repeated, her voice reaching a higher octave. "Yes, you're welcome. You would've seriously injured yourself by jumping from that height!" Gene rounded on her, anger flashing in his eyes.

The corner of her lips tugged up into a smirk at the thought that he was slowly losing his composure because of her. "I can take care of myself. I know what I'm doing." She argued spitefully, determined not to break away from his gaze.

"I'm aware of that." He snorted, but she could that in reality he was actually impressed with her. Not that it mattered, of course. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and shook the thought from her head.

_I've got to get out of here_. She groaned and stood up slowly, attempting to act casual. It looked like they were only a few stories up; she could make it.

"Don't even think about it." Gene warned her. She paused, hesitating, and bit her lip. _To hell with it, I'm out of time!_ She sprinted toward the edge of the rooftop, ready to dive off of it, but ended up smacking right into Gene's chest.

He spun her around, twisting her arms back, and she let out a cry of pain. She instinctively kicked her leg back into his shin, throwing him off balance, and took advantage of his loosened grip on her arms.

Pepper threw her fist back and hurled it toward his face, but he caught it easily in the palm of his hand. "Enough!" He growled, pulling her entire arm closer to him, and she stumbled forward into his arms.

He had a vice-grip around her waist, leaving her limited space to move. _Fuck this!_ She snarled and snapped her head up, slamming it into his forehead. She heard a sickening crack and a loud grunt of pain, which satisfied her, but her own head was spinning.

She staggered back over her own feet and tried to regain her balance, but found it difficult to do so as her vision was swimming. _Shit, I didn't do that right, did I?_ She moaned and felt herself falling, but onto something soft rather than concrete.

"Pepper!" Her eyes snapped open as she could hear her name being called from a distance. "Tony?" She mumbled softly, but all she could see were black spots and stars. Was she out of time?

She heard the sound of something sharp cutting through the air, followed by metal meeting concrete. She felt herself being lowered onto the ground and she moaned, clamping a hand over her eyes.

"Mandarin." She heard Tony growl from afar, his voice edged with steel. "Stark." Pepper could hear Gene's voice from directly above her, which meant he had to be in between her and Tony.

She weakly lifted her head up as her hazy vision began to clear and made eye contact with Tony. He stood opposite Gene, clad in his Iron Man armor. She could see cold fury in his eyes and it made her heart ache.

When their eyes met, his anger briefly melted and he gazed at her longingly, apologetically. _Run!_ Her words came out in a silent whisper, her eyes pleading with him. _Run!_ She was no longer able to lift her head up and felt it fall back onto her arm. _Please._

Her vision became hazy yet again and she found herself blinking rapidly to keep her eyelids from shutting. She felt her consciousness slowly slip away, and fought at it relentlessly. _Please. __**Please.**_

Before her entire world stilled, she heard a cruel, amused voice,

"You want her, Tony? Come and get her."


	6. Inception

A/N: Did you know that Temujin means "Iron" in Mongolian? I just found that to be really interesting.

**Inception**

May 13, 2019

12:20 PM

Tony growled and the armored plate around his face snapped shut with a light _clang._ He glanced at Pepper, who was lying listlessly on the ground beside Gene. She looked so…lifeless. He shuddered with fear and anger, instantly wiping the thought from his mind.

He glanced at Gene in disgust and took in his appearance. He looked taller and, regretfully, much stronger. He was dressed similar to that of a businessman from Wall Street, most likely in order to blend in to the streets of Manhattan.

Tony almost snorted as a thought passed through his mind; _it would have suited him._ He looked older, much older, but they all did. It had been seven years, after all.

Tony briefly turned back to Pepper, who looked exhausted and, even in her sleep, still frightened. "Leave her out of this, or I _swear_—" He warned Gene, his palms briefly sparking with energy. "Or what?" Gene snorted, folding his arms across his chest.

"Or by _God_ I will make you regret the day you came into our lives." Tony swore, his voice quaking with anger.

The smug smirk on Gene's face faltered slightly and he tilted his nose up at him. "Not everything's about you, Stark." Tony laughed, shaking his head. _And here I thought he was here to destroy my lif_e, he deliberated sarcastically to himself. "Let's just get this over with." He clenched his fists and launched himself at Gene.

The other man caught his fist but was hurled to the ground with Tony on top of him. Gene was pinned with nearly a hundred pounds of heavy metal on top of him, which made it relatively difficult for him to escape.

"You're going to go back to wherever you came from," Tony snarled, his face within inches of Gene's. "Is that so?" Gene murmured mockingly, his voice strained from keeping Tony's fist back from pummeling into his face. "**Yes.** And you're going to forget all about Pepper—"He pressed, to which Gene let out an unabashed laugh.

"You intend to keep her from me," He stated almost comically, his dark eyes twinkling in amusement. "Very much so." Tony growled in return, and he slammed the other man's arm down to the side. Gene let out a rage-filled howl as his arm bent back at a sharp angle.

"I think we've all had just about enough of your games." Tony roughly grabbed him by the collar and lifted them both up into the air. They were hovering several hundred feet above the building, and they both knew that Gene would suffer more than an unpleasant landing if he fell—he glanced down, his eyes narrowing slightly—_dropped_ from this height.

"Now tell me," He lowered his voice and glared darkly at Gene, who looked all-too-willing to be up there with him. It made his gut twist with an uneasy feeling, angering him all the more. "What are you—" His tongue stalled in between words as his eye caught something momentarily flash in the light.

"…scheming…?" He uttered those words almost disconcertedly under his breath as he directed his gaze to Gene's collar. There was a wire strung around his neck—a strange necklace—tucked underneath his collar with some sort of glowing jewelry hooked on it.

His eyes widened as he suddenly realized, _the rings_. Just then Tony heard a deafening blast and was thrust backwards into the air. He smashed into the concrete and groaned, unable to lift himself off the floor. _Fuck_. He tested his back muscles, stretching his upper shoulders together, and let out a strained grimace as he felt his back burn with pain.

"Best to keep your distance, Stark." Gene warned him, his voice directed from above him. Tony gritted his teeth and propped himself up onto his elbows. "Eight rings," He replied in disbelief. "There were…eight rings around your neck."

Gene ignored him and slowly pushed his shoulder back into place with his free arm. It let out an audible _pop,_ to which Gene let out a grunt of pain. "Funny thing," He smirked at Tony, his voice strained but still mocking. "Seven years with all of the available resources in the palm of your hand and you still hadn't figured it out."

Tony roared and leapt up to tackle his opponent, but he was too slow. Gene spun around, grabbing ahold of Tony's shoulders, and hurled him across the roof. At that moment Tony activated his rocket boots and they flared to life. His heels skidded against the concrete but he was able to regain his balance.

He launched himself at Gene and successfully tackled him off the roof. Gene struggled in the other man's hold as they sailed through the air. He twisted out of his grip and landed a powerful punch to Tony's face plate.

They veered to the side, smashing through a set of pots along the side of an apartment building as Tony lost his balance. "Get _off_!" Gene attempted to fight him off once again, but that only resulted in them spinning out of control.

They crashed onto the front of a taxi and before separating and hitting the pavement. Tony groaned and willed his body to move, but his head was spinning. His nerves screamed with pain as he rolled over onto his back and he groaned, only just taking frenzied screams around him into account.

_Fuck._ Had they hurt anyone? "Shit, shit…" Tony eyed the rubble around him, his eyes widening slightly at the damage he had done to the taxi cab. He stood up, swaying precariously, and stepped out of the crater he had created in the road.

A crowd of rubberneckers was growing around him as usual and he had interrupted the flow of traffic. Meanwhile, the driver was sitting stock still in his seat with his hands still clutching the steering wheel, but he looked otherwise unharmed.

_Damage looks minimal_, Tony assessed, and he let out a breath of relief. Suddenly he heard the crowd behind him begin to scream and he spun around, tense and ready for action. Gene was standing across the street from him, slightly hunched over and cradling his stomach. There was a deep gash on his cheek and he seemed to have hurt his ribs, but he was unharmed otherwise.

_How the hell is he still standing?! _Tony thought incredulously to himself. He felt winded even through his steel-plated armor and Gene was only human.

He scanned the other man's body, his eyes narrowing briefly before widening once more when they came across the only explanation he could think of. _You've _got_ to be kidding me, _he groaned inwardly as he caught the faint glow of the Makluan rings from underneath Gene's collar.

Gene wiped at his cheek with the back of his hand, a deep scowl forming on his face. Tony briefly glanced around at the crowd of onlookers who were gathering around them and he felt panic spark in his chest.

Would he use civilians against him? He expected as much from Gene, but he was almost reserved in the strangest senses. He calculated the risk, crouching and tensing slightly. He wouldn't reveal his identity; he knew that much.

He still didn't understand why exactly, but clearly Gene was using this bit of information to his advantage. The thought made his skin crawl, but he shook the notion from his head.

"Get out of the way." Gene growled low in his throat, advancing toward the crowd. They all hastily moved back in turn, but still encircled the two. _This isn't good_, Tony took a step forward nervously. "You all need to get back to safety," He insisted loudly, waving his palms out in a placating manner.

They responded with hushed, excited whispers amongst themselves and they began to point at Gene. Tony felt anger well up in his chest as they continued to ignore him and he let out an irritated huff. _Oh, for the love of_—

"I said _move_!" Gene bellowed, and in a sudden flash the city flared and sparked before blacking out again. Shouts and cries of fear filled the air as people scattered in utter chaos. Tony simultaneously felt a burst of power burst in his arc reactor, similar to earlier. He clenched his teeth and hurled himself at Gene before he could harm anyone, feeling fully charged and ready for a fight.

Gene caught his fists and pushed back at him, but they were evenly matched. "Relax, Stark." He hissed, clearly not heeding his own advice. "Involving civilians would only prolong our encounter." Tony furrowed his eyebrows at the other man's choice of words and Gene chuckled, sensing his confusion.

"No, Tony, I'm not here just to stir things up." Gene rolled his eyes dramatically, and Tony's lip curled up into a snarl as he switched to a first name basis. "I mean, as entertaining as it was to screw around with your little company—" Gene was cut off as Tony slammed his body back against an uninhabited car.

"What do you want then, hm?" Tony snarled viciously into his face, wishing to _God_ that he could remove his face plate so Gene could see the hatred he bore toward him in his eyes. Gene grinned, and it made him look like the most maniacal creature Tony had ever laid his eyes on.

_Then again_, Tony mused bitterly to himself, _I've never met anyone more __twisted—_

A small beeping noise briefly alerted him of an incoming call before immediately connecting him through to the line. "I'm sorry, man, something came up and I got backtracked. I'm heading over to you now." Rhodey's voice rang clearly in his ears and he opened his mouth to reply, but paused suddenly. Gene narrowed his eyes and froze, allowing the opportune moment to catch him off guard slip out of his hands.

"_No_." Tony alerted him quickly. "Pepper needs you." Gene's eyes widened and Tony lost himself for only a moment as it suddenly dawned upon him. "Rhodey, _go_! She's on the rooftop of the Museum of—" Gene grabbed his arms roughly and Tony's last word came out in a rush as he felt himself teleport out of the street.

He fell back onto rough concrete yet again, and he looked up to see Gene standing between him and Pepper. "If you really think I'm just going to let you take her…" Tony's voice came out harsher and angrier than he had expected it to, but he wasn't exactly complaining.

"Well it isn't really up to you, is it?" Gene's voice was calmer in retrospect, but he was staring at Tony with this look—this familiar,irritating look—and it suddenly came to him with the full force of a truck—that he was standing over Pepper protectively_, possessively_.

His chest was heaving now and he was absolutely furious, but he forcibly swallowed down his rage. He knew Rhodey wasn't coming and he had to settle this alone. _Fine with me_, he snarled at the other man, his jaw tight. Gene paused and stood up straight as if he sensed his opponent's strategy and he held a finger up to stop him.

"I see your point. I'm just about done with you, don't worry." He announced casually, rummaging through his pockets as if they had all the time in the world. "What—" Tony gritted out and he stopped as Gene pulled something out of his pants pocket and held something out to him in an open palm.

Tony furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the object—a cylindrical golden object about the size of a water bottle. Gene tossed it to Tony and he caught it hastily with an angry growl. "_That—_" Gene jutted his chin up slightly, notioning to the object. "—is your ticket."

Tony scrutinized it momentarily, allowing his suit to analyze it, before his eyes went huge at the realization of his words. "Ticket to what? What do you expect me to do with it?" He spat, and Gene's eyes lit up in wicked amusement.

"Open it, figure it out." He shrugged nonchalantly. "And until then…" He turned to crouch down at Pepper's side and Tony immediately lurched forward, shouting out in a warning, "_Hey!_" Gene reacted instantly, whirling around and flattening his palm out at Tony's chest plate. A burst of energy resonated from his rings and thrust Tony into the air, his suit eliciting a low screeching noise as he hit the pavement.

"You should be a little more fucking careful with this." Gene snarled and Tony glanced upwards to see him holding the object cautiously to his chest. He let out a huff of impatience before turning back to Pepper, almost completely ignoring Tony.

Tony let out a yell of pain and frustration as he leapt up hastily to stand. He could feel his shoulders hunching forward at the strain in his chest and he struggled to step forward. His head began to feel clouded with a growing feeling of pressure and hazy spots prickled through his vision.

"Get away from her," He grounded out between shallow breaths. He stuttered forward, only to feel his muscles clench in protest and he staggered to the ground. _Get up, get up, get up_, he hissed to himself, and he rolled onto his side with a pained groan.

"Don't bother," Gene called out to him from a distance. Tony inhaled shakily, gasping out, "_What did you do…?"_ His eyes slowly scanned the area, growing in and out focus, before settling on Gene's back.

"Relax, it'll wear off." Gene stood up, his back still to him, and Tony could see Pepper's head dangling from Gene's arms. A swell of affection mixed with dread blossomed in his chest as his eyes lingered on her tired face. He arched his body in an attempt to move, do _something_, but his muscles protested against the movement.

Gene turned slowly, his gaze still on Pepper as he shifted her to cradle her head to his chest. Tony's nostrils flared and glared up at Gene with a look of absolute venom. Gene's eyes darted to his and for a moment they boldly glared each other down.

Gene carefully dropped the object to his feet before rolling it in Tony's direction. It glinted in the light and stopped several feet away from his chest. "Solve it _your-fucking-self_," Tony snapped and Gene let out a crude laugh, flashing him a wide grin.

"No, you're going to solve it." He proclaimed with an unsettling smile on his face. "And _when _you do, we'll have an exchange." His eyes flitted to Pepper and Tony felt as if a boulder had crashed back onto his chest again.

Tony felt his mouth go dry and he croaked, "Wait, how—how am I supposed to know how to—" He argued, and Gene clipped, "You'll figure it out." Tony's lips tightened together fleetingly and he continued, "How long—"

"As long as it takes," Gene growled impatiently, before beginning to walk away from him. "I'll find you." A feeling of hysteria quickly began to rise in Tony's chest as he shouted, "No, stop. Wait!" He heaved himself up with the little upper body strength he had left.

"Gene!" Tony shouted, just as a swirl of light and energy began to envelop the two. Gene paused, and Tony knew he had temporarily caught his attention. "Don't do this to her," He pleaded and something hard and bitter flashed in Gene's eyes.

"I'll do what I have to." He replied coldly, giving him one final unrepentant look before a wave of light swept them up and out of sight.


End file.
